Cradled between Mexico and Guatemala and lapped by the shimmering waters of the Caribbean Sea, Belize is certainly one of Central America’s most charming gems. Wealthy in pure range and profoundly multicultural, it’s a vibrant mosaic the place emerald rainforests soften into sun-baked shores and the place Creole, Garifuna, Maya, and Hispanic influences mix in a singular and rhythmic cultural tapestry. Whether or not you’re scuba diving the kaleidoscopic Blue Gap or consuming a cocktail on the sand, Belize is a rustic the place any type of traveller can discover their paradise. Seize your sunhat and sense of journey as we journey by means of our favorite issues to do in awe-inspiring Belize.
Sip frozen cocktails in Caye Caulker
A small island simply 8km (5 mi) lengthy about 45 minutes from mainland Belize, Caye Caulker is a picture-perfect Caribbean hideout, the place turquoise waters kiss the shore and contemporary snapper sizzles on beachside grills. On this tropical dreamscape, golf carts have changed automobiles, and even the canines napping on the grime roads appear to have taken the motto of “go sluggish” to coronary heart. Take pleasure in a day of snorkelling after which head to the Break up, a slim channel dividing the developed south from dense mangrove to the north, and revel in rum punch to the sound of soca music and waves.
Prime tip: E book a flyover from Caye Caulker to see the nice Blue Gap from above. The journey lasts about an hour and presents aerial views of the Belize Barrier Reef, Turneffe Atoll, and Lighthouse Reef Atoll, together with the well-known shipwrecked British cargo ship M/V Switch.
Expertise it for your self on: Traditional Belize & Tikal
Witness jungle magic in San Ignacio
Nestled within the Cayo District and recognized for its lush rainforests and pure magnificence, San Ignacio is a gateway for exploring the wildlife, Maya temples, and cave methods of western Belize. From right here, enterprise to Cahal Pech (walkable from the city) or take a 20-minute journey to Xunantunich for beautiful views above the cover. If nature is your calling and also you’re not simply spooked, don your headlamp and uncover the jungle after darkish with a guided evening hike. Assume cicadas, scorpions, tarantulas, and owls — a symphony of shadows and sound beneath the moonlight.
Prime tip: Get a style of native tradition on the San Ignacio Market. From produce distributors and artisanal items to road meals ready on charcoal stoves, it’s a good way to immerse your self in Belize’s vibrant flavours and neighborhood spirit. Tuesdays and Saturdays are greatest.
Expertise it for your self on: Mayan Encounter
Step into dwelling Maya traditions
Whereas within the Cayo district, join the previous and current by pairing your go to to the archaeological websites of Xunantunich or Cahal Pech with an immersive cultural expertise in San Antonio. Find out about conventional Maya delicacies on the San Antonio Ladies’s Cooperative and get a front-row seat to the enduring traditions, equivalent to grinding maize with a metate. Attempt your hand at pottery and perceive how this historic craft served day by day life in eras previous and the way its function has advanced. The cooperative is a crucial pillar of the neighborhood, serving to to empower ladies by means of tourism and safeguard the Maya lifestyle, together with the preservation of languages like Yucatec and Q’eqchi’.
Expertise it for your self on: Belize Household Journey: Rainforests, Seashores & Historic Caves
Gaze into Belize’s Blue Gap
A hanging pure phenomenon from the ocean or above, the Belize Blue Gap is a legendary marvel. About 320m (1,040 ft) throughout and plunging to an intimidating 124m (400 ft) in depth, this surreal marine sinkhole surrounded by coral has captivated the eye of scuba divers and marine biologists because it got here to prominence in 1971. Contained in the inky blue lies a labyrinth of underwater caves, adorned with big stalactites and teeming with sharks, rays, and different aquatic creatures.
Prime tip: A sophisticated-level diving certification is required to scuba dive on the Blue Gap, but it surely’s additionally doable to snorkel across the rim or view it from the air.
Uncover Belize Metropolis’s previous and current
Whereas Belize Metropolis is usually used as a jumping-off level for onward connections and adventures farther afield, travellers who select to linger will discover a microcosm of the nation’s layered and sophisticated identification. Remnants of its colonial previous stay seen within the structure, whereas the Museum of Belize, housed in a former jail, traces the nation’s journey from historic Maya civilizations by means of slavery, colonization, and independence. In distinction to its island and jungle counterparts, the town reveals a rawer facet of the nation, and it’s best to train warning in some areas, notably after darkish.
Prime tip: Don’t depart Belize Metropolis earlier than you’ve tried a nationwide staple: rice and beans with stew hen and plantain. Load it up with Marie Sharp’s scorching sauce (¡pica mucho!) and wash it down with an area Lighthouse beer.
Expertise it for your self on: Solo-ish Belize
Really feel the rhythm in Hopkins, Belize
Typically described because the cultural centre of the Garifuna Belize neighborhood, Hopkins is a small coastal village within the Stann Creek district that blends a sluggish, welcoming tempo with a deep-rooted connection to ancestral heritage. Attend drumming and dancing shows, uncover extra about conventional delicacies, and be taught to make hudut (coconut fish stew served with mashed plantains) in an area cooking class.
Prime tip: Hopkins is an efficient base for experiencing Belize’s unimaginable wildlife, with improbable bird-watching alternatives. Many resorts within the space lease out kayaks, so journey down the Sittee River to catch a glimpse of keel-billed toucans (Belize’s nationwide chicken), squirrel cuckoos, and pale-billed woodpeckers. Don’t overlook your bug repellent and maintain your palms out of the water — crocodiles could also be lurking close by.
Meet inexperienced iguanas
For those who’re a fan of scaly creatures or need to get a deeper understanding of certainly one of Belize’s many conservation initiatives, this expertise is for you. Operated by the San Ignacio Resort Resort, the Inexperienced Iguana Conservation Undertaking goals to safeguard its namesake animal, an endangered species, by educating the general public about its function within the wider ecosystem. Study concerning the end-to-end conservation course of from incubation to launch, together with fascinating insights into the reptiles’ behaviour and consuming habits.
Enter the underworld at ATM
Start a journey into delusion and thriller with a 45-minute trek by means of dense jungle within the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve to achieve a cave known as Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM). You’re going to get soaked within the water crossings en route, and you may anticipate some mild swimming and clambering as soon as contained in the cave, too. The Cave of the Stone Sepulchre was a sacred web site to the Maya folks of Belize, who believed it to be a gateway to Xibalba, the underworld and lair of the gods. As you squeeze by means of its winding chambers and plunge into its darkish pits, take a second to mirror on the artifacts you discover inside, which embrace sacrificial human stays.
Prime tip: Deliver sunscreen, water, a snack, and loads of insect repellent. Even higher, gown in lengthy, mild layers to cowl your pores and skin utterly. Cameras will not be allowed.
Expertise it for your self on: Mayan Journey: Mexico, Belize & Guatemala
Savour island life on Ambergris Caye
Mix leisure and journey with a go to to Ambergris Caye, about 1.5 hours from the mainland by water taxi. Bigger and extra developed than Caye Caulker and providing easy accessibility to diving, crusing, and snorkelling within the Belize Barrier Reef, it’s value budgeting a number of days of your itinerary to absorb the complete expertise of this dynamic Caribbean island. Head south to seek out San Pedro, an enthralling city with vibrant buildings and seashore bars serving up among the greatest seafood in Belize, or enterprise to the far north and uncover unimaginable wildlife and historic Maya historical past in Bacalar Chico Nationwide Park and Marine Reserve.
Prime tip: Plan your go to for early July to catch the opening of lobster season, marked by the week-long Lobsterfest, which is bookended by full of life events.
Journey deep into the Belize jungle
One of many issues that makes Belize so compelling is the wealthy interaction of its folks, cultures, and landscapes. Step past the cities and powder-sand islands and uncover the stirring fantastic thing about the protected Belize Maya Forest. Really feel the fun of zip lining excessive above the cover or rappelling down a thundering waterfall. Get nearer to Belize’s wildlife with a jungle trek, that includes the guttural roar of howler monkeys, the crimson flash of scarlet macaws and — if you happen to’re fortunate — tracks of the elusive tapir.
Fascinating truth: Belize is dwelling to 5 species of untamed cats, from the distinctive pointed-faced jaguarundi to ocelots, margays, and pumas. The nation can also be a stronghold for jaguars, boasting one of many healthiest populations in all of Central America.
Snorkel the Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Improve your go to to Ambergris Caye with a day of snorkeling in Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Dive beneath the floor right into a rainbow of tropical reef fish, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and sea turtles, or head to Shark Ray Alley for up-close encounters with nurse sharks and stingrays. Which means “little channel” in Mayan, Hol Chan was established in 1987 as a protected marine space and presents among the best methods to sustainably work together with the Belize Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Web site and a part of the second-largest reef system on this planet.
Prime tip: About 80% of marine life is nocturnal, making a moonlight snorkelling tour probably the most thrilling methods to expertise Belize’s underwater world. Take to the nice and cozy sea waters after darkish to see backyard eels, bioluminescent plankton, and octopuses rising within the glow of your dive mild.
Expertise it for your self on: Central America in Seven International locations: Mexico to Costa Rica
Discover the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest
Cool off from days of sightseeing with a go to to the secluded swimming holes and waterfalls of Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Situated within the highlands of San Ignacio, the realm options pine-covered hills and valleys that may really feel considerably misplaced given their proximity to Belize’s tropical rainforest. The protected reserve additionally serves as a hall for jaguars and ocelots, making it a scorching spot for conservation analysis, whereas actions like horseback using and mountain climbing function a magnet for nature lovers.
Prime tip: Preserve your fingers crossed for the possibility to see the uncommon orange-breasted falcon. This beautiful creature is spottable in few locations on this planet, however one is Mountain Pine Ridge.
Swim beneath Massive Rock Falls
For those who go to the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, don’t depart with out having fun with a splash on the Massive Rock Falls. A 45m (150 ft) waterfall that feeds a sequence of swimming holes, this serene spot is the right place for a picnic with a view or a post-hike plunge. Surrounded by granite boulders and pine forest, it’s a peaceable complement to the nation’s high-adrenaline actions like zip lining or swimming with sharks, and a should for nature lovers trying to unplug.
Prime tip: Deliver water sneakers as a result of the rocks may be slippery, and also you may need to discover the numerous shallow swimming pools.
Ascend the steps of Xunantunich
Perched on a ridge above Mopan River about 128km (80 mi) from Belize Metropolis, this enigmatic web site is among the nation’s most majestic Maya complexes. Begin the journey by traversing the river through hand-cranked ferry and discover the location’s historic wonders. The true enjoyable begins whenever you climb the principle construction, El Castillo, which rises above the tree cover to supply panoramic views throughout Belize and into Guatemala.
Prime tip: Carry native foreign money whenever you go to. The ferry is free, however ideas are appreciated.
Expertise it for your self on: Mayan Discovery
Uncover hidden trails in Cockscomb Basin
A should for aficionados of the nice outdoor, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is certainly one of Belize’s largest protected pure areas. Though sightings lately are considerably uncommon, the sanctuary is dwelling to 40 or 50 jaguars, and the luxurious atmosphere is a paradise for hikers craving a connection to untouched wilderness. Seize your binoculars and durable sneakers and switch your eyes to the timber to identify monkeys, iguanas, wild cats, and a few 300 species of birds.
